The harrowing hijacking of an ambulance in Alfred Nzo District
Another distressing hijacking incident occurred in the Alfred Nzo District when armed assailants targeted an ambulance transporting an eight-year-old patient to Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha on Monday evening. The ambulance was en route from the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Regional Hospital in Mbizana when it was hijacked at gunpoint near Qumbu.
The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) crew and the young patient were left stranded alongside the road in the darkness of night until another ambulance arrived to pick them up.
The stolen ambulance and equipment valued at R1 million
Mkhululi Ndamase, the spokesperson for the provincial health department, confirmed the shocking incident and revealed that the stolen ambulance and its equipment were worth R1 million. The missing ambulance has yet to be located.
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MEC’s condemnation of the hijacking
Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa strongly condemned the attack on healthcare workers and staff, stating that it jeopardized service delivery. She expressed concern for the well-being of the EMS crew members and the young patient, offering them counseling to cope with the trauma of the senseless attack.
Capa emphasized the impact of the hijacking on emergency response capabilities in the Alfred Nzo District, urging the police to conduct a thorough investigation and calling on communities to assist in apprehending the perpetrators.
The department highlighted that ambulance attacks were a pervasive issue throughout the province.
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A growing problem in the Eastern Cape
This incident marks the fourth hijacking of a health department vehicle in the Alfred Nzo District since the beginning of the year. Earlier incidents involved ambulances being targeted with stones, reflecting a concerning trend of violence against emergency medical services.
The department reiterated that ambulance attacks were not isolated incidents but a widespread problem across the province.
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